The highlight of the walk – the world’s southernmost mangrove habitat, is what comes next.  It’s low tide and we can see the roots of the huge mangroves protruding from the sand.  About a hundred metres from the shore lays a series of round boulders, forming small islands. We walk out to them and I’m surprised to find the top of one rocky outcrop covered in grass speckled with yellow and purple flowers.  In the distance black swans swim around the round boulders that are completely surrounded by water.  It seems miles away from the rainforest walk we did only hours ago and it’s hard to believe we’re in the same national park.

As we drive back to the cabin we’re staying at just outside the park, the sun is setting and dusk is upon us, which  makes it the perfect time to see one of The Prom’s most famous inhabitants - the wombat.  The furry marsupials are nocturnal, and the best time to spot them is just before it gets dark.

Just as we are leaving the trail, I spot something in a field which  looks much like a big, gray boulder.  It’s moving though and turns out to be a wombat. It looks like a pig coverd in coarse, grey fur, but despite his huge body and tiny little legs, it moves quite fast and disappears when it hears us approach.  Disappointed, we get in the car and start driving again, but not a minute later spot another wombat grazing near the side of the road.  This time, the wind is on our side and masks the sounds of our approach.  We get close enough to have a good look at the wombat and snap some decent photos. I t’s definitely not a pretty species, but there is something adorable about its cute box nose, tiny eyes and pointy ears - it looks almost like a puffed up cat. We see two more wombats on the way home, as well as several huge kangaroos lounging just off the main road.  After the small wallabies, the kangaroos look like giants.

Camping and accommodation is available within the national park at the Tidal River settlement, but there are plenty of cabins, B&B’s and hotels within driving distance of the park’s entrance.  Prom Gate Vista Cabins www.promgatevistacabins.com.au is one of the closest to the park’s entrance.  This is where we’re staying for the next two nights, and when I crawl into bed, I’m extra grateful for the heated mattress liner.  I’m not sure if it’s the cool weather or the snake encounter, but somewhere along the way, I’ve picked up a chill.

As I snuggle into the comfortable bed, I have trouble falling asleep. I keep replaying the snake encounter over in my mind.  When we first arrived in Australia and I mentioned my snake fears to an Aussie, he laughed and said, “Mate, if you see a snake, consider yourself lucky.”  The more I think about it, the more I realize that I was lucky to see such an amazing creature in its natural habitat.  If we’d been fifteen seconds later, we would have missed the reptile all together.  And it definitely wasn’t as menacing as I’d imagined a venomous snake would be.

The next day, we pack a lunch and decide to give one of the longer trails a go. Our destination is Sealers Cove, a 20 kilometre return walk.  Although we don’t see nearly as much wildlife today, the scenery is breathtaking. The trail is practically deserted and I feel as if we have the whole world to ourselves. It’s another cool day and I’m grateful as the trail winds up and down, getting our hearts pumping.

The trail starts off in an area recently ravaged by firewhich  makes for extraordinary scenery. Most of the trees are blackened shells or stumps, and unlike other areas of the park, here we can see for miles.  Within the burnt out areas, signs of new life are already appearing and bursts of vibrant green break up the dark ground. Bright green leaves wind their way up black branches and several white flowers announce hope as they sprout from tufts of grass on the ground.

The trail leads us on to a ferny glade with leaves that  spread out over the path in some places. I can hear the chirps of unseen birds flittering in the forest canopy that is blocking out the sun. A small stream meanders through the glade, spilling onto the path and making us jump like children from stepping stones to dry ground.

Eventually we come to a boardwalk that lets us walk over Sealers Swamp.  On the side of the path we spot several skinks sunning themselves on the grass.  Their small, stumpy snake-like bodies end so abruptly that it looks as if they have had their tails chopped off. When we finally arrive at Sealers Cove, we take in the brown sand backed by huge green hills; the choppy water is foaming on the shore and there isn’t another human in sight.  Sealers Cove was actually used more by whalers and timber-cutters than sealers, and all that remains of either industry are the stubs of posts that once held up jetties, their black ends sticking out of the water, which only adds to the desolation and remoteness of the cove. 

As we drive back to the cabin, pleasantly exhausted by our long walk, we see more wildlife.  Wallabies hover near the side of the road, an echidna digs near a post and a wombat crosses the road in front of us.  Wallabies scurry off as we round a corner and the kangaroos and emus are in the same field where we spotted them the previous day.  Wilson’s Promontory has definitely lived up to its wild reputation.

The next morning we have time for one last walk before we’re off to our next destination.  In some ways, we’ve saved the best for last.  The Mount Oberon Summit walk is one of the more difficult routes, but the views are worth the extra effort.  At 558 metres, Mount Oberon is one of the highest points on the island.  The climb to the top is steady and although the scenery along the way is not as spectacular as some of our previous walks, we do manage to catch a glimpse of a black cockatoo.  From the top, we have views over much of the national park.  Sight of the coastline is the most rewarding and it’s in this direction I face as I plant myself down on a big boulder to rest.  Just off the shore, we can see the tips of several large islands, the many others  being obscured by the thick fog rolling in from the open ocean. 

As we sit and watch, the fog creeps away from the islands, and makes its way inland, covering the beach, the green fields and our view of Tidal River below.  Just as quickly, the fog all but disappears and we can see all the way from the islands to the start of the Sealers Cove walk.  With a sigh, I take one last photo, and we slowly make our way back down.  As we drive away from national park, another wallaby hops across the road in front of us - we take this as a farewell from all our wild friends in The Prom.

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